[nagdu] Just heard on news12 last night that Congresswoman Gabby Giffords has a dog from GDF continued

[cheryl echevarria]

This was just sent to me by another graduate as well.


Good morning all,
There has a been a link circulating on Facebook too on this:
http://vetdogs.org/Content.aspx?id=2252 

Former US Representative Gabrielle Giffords 
Partnered with Specially Trained Service Dog
from America's VetDogs  
 
TUCSON, AZ (February 12, 2013) -America's VetDogs is proud to have 
placed a specially trained service dog with former US Representative 
Gabrielle Giffords. America first saw "Nelson" on January 8, when 
Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, were interviewed
 on the second anniversary of the shooting in Arizona that wounded the 
congresswoman and 12 others, and left six people dead. 
Giffords suffered severe traumatic brain injuries, which left her 
with speech and mobility issues. In the two years since that day, she 
has made a remarkable recovery, which will be enhanced by Nelson, her 
service dog from America's VetDogs. 


Kelly reached out to VetDogs to determine how a service dog could 
make a positive impact on his wife's continuing rehabilitation, and 
after a visit to the VetDogs campus, Giffords applied and was accepted 
to the program. Nelson was placed in October, and Giffords and the dog 
have been learning how to work together as a team in the months since. 


"Gabby Giffords is an inspiration," says Wells Jones, CEO of 
America's VetDogs. "She has made amazing progress after the injuries she
 has suffered and has retained a positive outlook. We're proud to be 
able to serve such a courageous woman." 


The key to creating a successful working team is the matching 
process. Skill set, temperament, and personality are vital components to
 ensure that the right dog is teamed with the right person. After the 
matching process, the bonding phase and learning how to work as a team 
is critical. Nelson has been specifically trained for Giffords' needs to
 help mitigate her remaining disabilities. As with any recipient, 
VetDogs worked with Giffords and her caregivers to determine the 
tasks that would be most beneficial to her. Nelson's placement was kept 
low-key to give them this important time together. 


Giffords is a high-profile personality and makes numerous public 
appearances, which include rallies, fundraisers, parades, and 
Congressional hearings. In certain situations, it may not be appropriate
 for her to be accompanied by Nelson; that is an individual decision 
made by each handler because the safety of the dog and handler is always
 paramount. 


America's VetDogs provides service dogs that can help recipients by 
performing tasks such as opening and closing doors, cabinets and 
drawers, turning on and off light switches, providing counterbalance 
support as a person walks or climbs stairs, "calling for help" (barking)
 if the person falls and can't get up, retrieving items, alerting to 
seizures and also reacting to high or low blood sugar levels for those 
with diabetes. 


While VetDogs endeavors to make waiting times as short as possible, 
these can vary depending on an individual's needs and preferences.  
Nelson came through VetDogs' prison puppy program, in which inmates 
raise pups for about a year. During that time, inmates housebreak the 
pups, teach basic obedience, and start to work on general 
service-related tasks. During formal training, specific tasks are 
fine-tuned and refined for an individual's particular needs. 


About America's VetDogs America's VetDogs is a constantly 
evolving program that strives to meet the needs of those who have served
 our country including veterans of all eras, active military personnel, 
first responders, and others by providing custom trained assistance dogs
 for people with ALL disabilities (loss of sight, hearing and mobility 
impairment, seizure disorder, among others) to meet each recipient's 
specific needs.  


VetDogs also provides combat operational stress control dogs that are
 deployed in theater for active military personnel; these dogs offer 
emotional support for those who are dealing with combat stress, home 
front issues, and sleep disorders. The organization has also trained 
physical and occupational therapy dogs to assist therapists working with
 veterans in military and VA hospital settings. 


VetDogs is dedicated to helping those who have served our country by 
allowing them to live again with independence and dignity. Services are 
provided at no cost and include a lifetime of aftercare. VetDogs is 
supported by donations from private individuals, corporations, 
foundations, and other organizations, and receives no government 
funding. America's VetDogs was founded by, and is a sister organization 
to, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. For more information, 
visit www.vetdogs.org. 
 


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